MISTAKE 5

By thinforlife on 2/1/12

Larry "thinforlife" Jacobs is a top food and weight loss coach and he has worked with several prominent golfers including Fred Funk and Allen Doyle. A few weeks back, he contacted ClubSG because he wanted to share his tips with us on how to get the most of the 2012 golf season. So I thought, what the heck, let's hear him out. Over the next seven weeks, he'll share his seven tips to help you lose weight and get in shape. You can find more from Larry on his website thingolfer.com. Enjoy!

You can reach your Weight, Health and Fitness goals in the New Year, whether you want to lose weight, get fit, eat healthy or simply just feel better by avoiding the 7 biggest mistakes most golfers make when trying to lose weight and get into shape (read the first four mistakes here, here, here and here).

Mistake #5: The "This is Just Temporary Mentality.

How many times have you seen someone who was trying to lose weight (most likely on an eat less, calorie restricted diet—which we already discussed why this is a BAD idea) AND they talk about how they only have a "few more days or weeks left" on this great "body shrinking" diet they're on. Most people that are on diets just try and eek it out for some short period of time--before they put their tales between their legs and hightail it back from whence they came.

They come into the game with a short term mindset. This is a huge mistake because this is a MAJOR reason people get caught in the yo-yo syndrome of lose a little -- gain, lose a little--gain even more back etc. They actually think they can do it on this short term mindset and they are DEAD wrong!

Here's a quick reality check...

I liken this to trying to blast out of a green side bunker with a Driver. Maybe the late Seve Ballesteros could do it, but not you or me or anyone else.

Although it would be nice to be able to do a short sprint "down the field," and succeed, or just turn in a single 18 hole score to Win the Masters--that's not the way it works. It's a 72 hole marathon and you've got to stay focused and manage your game throughout your round. Heck if you lose sight of what you are doing, most likely you'll miss the cut and be watching round three on TV.

Why is this? Because it's golf, and the game "always fights back." And guess what? Your body ALWAYS fights back too. Even more than the golf course. Why? Because in golf you can tee it up again tomorrow. And even though you may feel like taking an "overdose of Pinacles," in most cases unless you are a competitive tournament golfer, yesterday's poor round is out of sight out of mind and at worst may only affect your handicap, your wallet and your ego.

On the other hand your body keeps score every day. Yet unlike golf, I say this is a game you can WIN. (I call it the game of YOUR LIFE) You WIN by making a lot of pars, some birdies, bogeys, and others. The "front nine" is from the time you wake up til after lunch, the "back nine" is from after lunch til bedtime. As long as you "manage your game" you can shoot par, under par or a little over par...just about every day of your life. And when you string a bunch of rounds together like this (even with a bad "round" every now and then) You ultimately win the game!

Bottom Line...

The real deal is...THIS is a LIFESTYLE CHANGE that you engineer for yourself, that works for you for the long term! It is NOT a 10 day sprint. This long term mindset is a crucial key that helps you grow your mental toughness seeds, and helps you continue to succeed.

Remember what you eat is the foundation. You’ve just got to get that right. Leaning how to (what I call) Eat Clean without dieting, counting calories, and starving is critical for your success. Then adding physical activity to the mix gives you the multiplier effect. Finally, staying focused with an eye toward a Long Term Mindset is another piece of the puzzle.

The simple answer is this. To succeed for the long term with your weight and your size and your health, you’ve got learn to be able to learn to coexist with real food and regular physical activity AND you have to "think your way around the course" continuously.

Otherwise you will end up in a hazard, OB, and stuck in the FAT TRAP or worse.

With a few “high tech” tools like a knife, a fork, a pair of sneakers, and the right road map, and mindset—you’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish.

Stay tuned for Mistake #6.

This was written by Larry Jacobs, a reader/follower/fellow ClubSGer and the opinions are 100% his and do not reflect those of ClubSG in anyway. You can find more from Larry on his website thingolfer.com. Enjoy! I'm sure he's ready for your feedback.


photo by wachovia_138